The SOUTHERN OCEAN Times Vol. 12 - No. 13
In This Week’s Edition
MICROMEDIA PUBLICATIONS
JERSEYSHOREONLINE.COM
A Marine’s Legacy Celebrated As He Turns 100 Years Old
September 28, 2024
Stafford Voters Approve $75.7M School Bond
BREAKING NEWS @
Photo by Stephanie Faughnan Classrooms like this in the Oxycocus Elementary School is in need of upgrades.
jerseyshoreonline.com
Community News Pages 9-13
Dr. Izzy’s Sound News Page 16
Inside The Law Page 19
Classifieds Pages 22
Photo by Stephanie Faughnan Members of the Barnegat Police celebrated Walter Augustyniak’s 100th birthday. By Stephanie Faughnan BARNEGAT - A local man who has lived through a century of history recently celebrated his milestone birthday in style. Born on September 22, 1924, Walter Augustyniak has enjoyed a life of adventure, service, and an endless quest for knowledge.
The celebrations began with a gathering at Barnegat VFW Post 10092, where Walter is a member and regular visitor. Several officers from the Barnegat Police Department came to honor the distinguished World War II Marine veteran. Detective Steve Russoniello, a Marine (Marine - See Page 4)
By Stephanie Faughnan STAFFORD - Preliminary results from the Ocean County Clerk indicate that the $75.7 million bond proposal passed 2,193 votes to 1,500. School officials said approval of this bond measure will provide the Stafford Township School District with the necessary funds to carry out extensive facility improvements. According to the district, the upfront funding will address critical infrastructure needs across multiple buildings. Homeowners in the district can expect an estimated monthly tax increase of $22 for properties assessed at the district’s average of $294,141. Superintendent George Chidiac expressed appreciation to the community, stating, “On behalf of the Board of Education and administration, I extend my gratitude to the residents of Stafford (Bond - See Page 14)
Ocean Township School Board Candidates Sound Off
By Stephanie Faughnan WARETOWN - Three candidates are competing for two, three-year seats on the Ocean Township Board of Education in the upcoming election. School board races are non-partisan and sometimes candidates run together under the same campaign slogan. In this case, all three individuals have chosen separate slogans. Candidate responses to key issues are presented below, organized alphabetically with some editing:
Justin Pimm Pride Persistence Perseverance “I have lived in Waretown my whole life. I went through the entire school district, starting out at Waretown Elementary to graduating from Southern Regional. I have two young children that are currently in the district. I have been on the Board of Education for over a year now and hope to continue to serve.” Pimm said he is running for the school board “to advocate and ensure a great
education for our kids, and on behalf of our parents. Our school system is a community of amazing families, and I’m just another parent willing to raise my hand to help; and to fi nd that perfect balance of resources and budget.” As far as investigating the possibility of the district merging with another district, Pimm answered: “I personally think it would be a waste of tax dollars and I think it would be unfair to the kids to not get the great experience I had going through
our small district. There also must be a school system willing to take us; all our surrounding districts are already at the seams with children. This would be a disadvantage with large class sizes. One of the reasons I chose to raise my children here is because of the small class sizes and great teachers.” Pimm identified state funding as one of the top concerns for the district, saying “When we address the formula more (Candidates - See Page 5)
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